Elara helped up the pale and thin man in the wheelchair, looking at him carefully.
"Uncle Wang."
The clear scent of medicine came continuously from the man as she approached.
It was quite refreshing.
Commander Shu nodded slightly, his eyes showing some tiredness. His pale lips lifted a little. His long, pale fingers gently tapped on the wheelchair armrest. The young man behind the wheelchair then pushed him toward the inside of the building.
"Let's talk inside, Your Majesty."
His voice was hoarse and weak, but calm and elegant, very pleasant to hear.
Elara's eyes moved from his thin shoulders draped in thick white fox fur to his legs, covered by thick white tiger skin.
"Okay."
......
Inside the city tower
Senior General Duanmu served tea to Elara. Commander Shu waved his hand. The young general standing behind him bowed respectfully, then they both stepped back and closed the city tower door.
Only Elara and Commander Shu remained inside.
Elara just raised the tea when she saw Commander Shu lean lightly on his side, his long pale hand supporting his head. He looked at her and said softly:
"Your Majesty, one of the goals this time is to take back the Northern Frontier."
Elara paused, holding the cup, then looked at Commander Shu. Was he being so straightforward?
Since she met this uncle in the Northern Frontier, he had surprised her many times.
Before Elara could answer, Commander Shu continued:
"I have only one condition. How Your Majesty treats other armies of Plumera Kingdom is how you should treat the Northern Frontier army."
"You have seen how much Senior General Duanmu and General He admire and respect Your Majesty. They are the highest commanders of the Northern Frontier army. Though simple in nature, they are loyal. Their ability to lead troops and their personal skills are no less than Damon and Hector under Your Majesty."
The young general who pushed Commander Shu's wheelchair must be General He.
Commander Shu spoke slowly. Elara sensed through her spirit blood that every word cost him effort, yet he spoke steadily and calmly:
"Although they belong to the Northern Frontier army, they always know that they are first generals of Plumera Kingdom. Plumera Kingdom is their first priority to defend."
"Your Majesty is also at a good time to use people. The Northern Frontier army is well supplied. Including the materials sent by Lord Gregory before, Your Majesty can take them all back this time."
Elara looked at the pale young man speaking calmly across from her. With the holy spirit blood essence inside him, even if she did not believe it, she could feel that what he said was true.
But this only made her more confused about him.
He had been stationed in the Northern Frontier for so many years. Could it be that he was just waiting for her to come one day and take back everything in his hands?
And Commander Shu, once a talented and brilliant man both in literature and martial arts, had become her substitute blood slave puppet because of a blood contract.
Even though he was in the Northern Frontier, his every word and action were controlled by her from far away in Plumera City.
For more than ten years, not only was his body tormented by pain, but he also had no control over himself.
As long as she, his master, wished it, he would immediately become a puppet with no resistance, completely controlled in body and life.
Such a fate and such a life... even a saint might not be able to remain calm and unshaken.
Yet he so calmly handed everything over to her?
Elara did not believe it.
Even if Senior General Duanmu and General He both admired her, what did that matter?
She had just met them today and happened to lead troops to save them.
But they were born and raised Northern Frontier soldiers, personally trained and promoted by Commander Shu.
Their relationship was not something she could compare to just by saving them once as a new ruler.
Even Commander Shu himself, even if he wanted to give the Northern Frontier troops to her, it would not be something he could change completely with just a few words.
Seeing Elara staring silently at him while holding her tea cup, Commander Shu guessed what she was thinking. His pale, thin hand lifted the soup medicine on the table and took a sip. After coughing softly a few times, he continued:
"Your Majesty need not think too much. Since I have decided to return the Northern Frontier to you, before the Northern troops fully return to your command, I will also follow you back."
Elara's gaze paused again as she studied him carefully for a few seconds, then stopped hiding and looked at him with a subtle and puzzled expression.
"Uncle... do you think your time is running out? Is that why you want to hand the Northern troops to me? But you should know, as long as I am fine, no matter how weak your body is, nothing will happen to you."
This was the true effect after the holy spirit blood essence fully worked.
Although Commander Shu was her exclusive substitute puppet, as long as Elara did not suffer a fatal injury and did not order him to die, even if most of his body had fallen into the gates of death, he would never die.
Commander Shu shook his head, his thin lips still holding a faint smile:
"This area was always guarded for your Plumera Kingdom. Now that you are awake, naturally you should take it back."
"Awake? ... What do you mean by that, Uncle?" Did he see her past reckless, lustful, cruel, and violent state as being not awake? Elara sharply caught the unusual meaning in his words.
"It means the same as when you were a child..." Commander Shu said, as if recalling something interesting, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
Elara stared at the subtle change in his expression and quietly searched the memories of this body.
The soul controlling this body had always been reckless, lustful, cruel, and violent. Even in the earliest vague memories, she only had strong fear of Uncle Commander Shu. The two had barely met, let alone had any close or happy moments. Later, when Commander Shu led the army north, the impression left in this body was all fear.
But why did this expression of his look like he remembered something good?
"Uncle, your niece has many questions she does not understand. Are you willing to answer them?"
With too many doubts in her heart, Elara put down the tea cup and no longer hid her thoughts.
Commander Shu's clear eyes looked at her. "You speak."
"Uncle, why did you suddenly lead the army north back then?"
"When exactly was the contract between you and me made? Why was it made?"